How Universal Basic Income for Farmers aims to provide a future of food security for us all

The call for a Universal Basic Income (UBI) for agricultural workers is gaining urgent momentum. As part of Feeding Bristol’s Food Justice Fortnight, campaigners gathered to explore how UBI could transform farming livelihoods, and our food system as a whole. Sarah Rowlands reports.

Reportedly, over ‘60% of farmers fear they will be out of business before the end of 2025.’ This concerning statistic paints a clear picture of the insecure food system we are facing. The root of this unstable reality comes from the fear and instability faced by those growing our food.

On Thursday 5 June, as part of Feeding Bristol’s Food Justice Fortnight, I attended an explorative conversation chaired by Jo Poulton – the campaign lead for Universal Income for Farmers. We discussed the invaluable safety net this would provide for struggling farmers and agricultural workers across the country and considered its wider impact on our food system.

Jo Poulton is the campaign lead for Universal Basic Income for Farmers. She herself is a vegetable grower and shared with us the financial insecurity she faced when transitioning from her office job to become a grower. She explained, ‘I just found it so hard, and I couldn’t believe that it was so difficult to just want to grow food for people, and financially just so insecure’.

Jo is currently Co-Head-Grower at Sims Hill Shared Harvest (co-operative) in Bristol. Sims Hill is one of many Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) schemes making up a growing network across the country.

What does Basic Income look like?

Jo outlined the Basic Income Earth Network definition for Basic Income as ‘a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-testing or work requirement.’ She then discussed the 5 pillars of basic income.

Participants then discussed the realities of these conditions and raised concerns over eligibility and taxation. Jo told us, ‘we’re developing some pilots now that I think will help us guide through the system and navigate it in a real-world lived experience, and figure out what the barriers are.’

Jo explained, ‘There’s lots of work to do around eligibility, but our dream is to make it as unconditional as possible’. The idea is that ‘if people are earning more money on top, then they will pay that money back in through the tax system on their other income, to get people up to that minimum income standard is the dream, so they can live a life of dignity.’

Jo emphasised that these pilots were the first starting point as we strive towards a future where farmers across the country are rightfully ‘secure and resourced.’ Jo stated ‘our theory of change is that if we can start with the agriculture sector, then we can prove just how powerful a basic income is for a multitude of things, like mental well-being, or food system resilience, or nature and biodiversity improvements.’

How will this impact our farmers?

We were then asked to imagine a different reality. A ‘utopian world’ when all agricultural workers receive a regular guaranteed income of £1000 a month – no questions asked.

This utopic future saw UBI as ‘core to upscaling’ and we envisioned more dedicated farmers, secure and resourced to support more sustainable and regenerative farming practices. We discussed a future where UBI provided support and unity amongst farmers and agricultural workers. The possibility of inciting more togetherness in decision-making processes and a stronger sense of community. Jo shared the harrowing statistic that ‘95% of young farmers view suicide as the biggest hidden danger in the industry.’ Protecting farmers’ lives should be enough of a reason alone to make universal basic income a reality.

How does UBI impact us and our food?

We then discussed the effect of UBI on the food system and the intended impact it would have on us as ‘the eaters.’ Jo reflected on her hopes that it would create a ‘value shift’ and outlined her concern with society’s ‘abundance mindset’ and our reliance on global exportation of produce.

If we are valuing and protecting those growing our food, we are promoting the value of that food. UBI will ‘keep farmers on the land’ and ‘prevent domination of agribusiness’, it will promote land sharing and protect localised food systems. Jo explained ‘It’s a sign of trust, and then when you show farmers that you trust them, then they do want to do better for themselves, the land, the community.’

Jo believes ‘a right to food is enshrined’ and that we should strive towards food sovereignty – the right to grow and choose locally produced, sustainable food. Universal Basic Income for Farmers would achieve this ‘utopia of choice’ and ensure that ‘humans are at the heart of agriculture.’

What’s next for the campaign and how can you help?

Although very much at its ‘seed stage,’ Jo concluded the conversation by outlining the campaign’s latest triumphs. ‘We got a £5,000 grant last year that enabled us to have a strategy day where we brought all of the working group members together. We spent three days strategising what we wanted to see happen in the campaign for the next 15 years.’

‘We’re hoping that in the next few years, we’ll have a series of micro-pilots At the moment, we’re looking at five people per micro pilot, but our dream is that there’ll be a patchwork of over 100 farmers and growers and food producers in the UK receiving a basic income.’

For more information or to support Universal Basic Income for Farmers please use the links below:

Donate, Sign the Open Letter and Read the Report.

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Photos by Mark Simmons.